How to Estimate a Print Job

Estimating all aspects of a print job needs to be done thoroughly, and should include working out how big your print run is going to be, the format you prefer and whether you want high-quality color printing or simple printing in black and white. Modern computers will enable you to print small print runs of leaflets, newsletters and booklets, but you will need to work out whether it is not only cost-effective but that you will have the time, regarding a booklet, to print, collate and staple everything.

• 1

  Work out how many copies you will want printed -- whether it's a leaflet, book, booklet, magazine, brochure or newsletter. If you are planning to sell copies of the item you want printed, err on the side of caution and have more copies printed than you think you'll need. If you print only a handful more of anything that has been pre-ordered, then you may either have to pay for another print run when more orders come in -- which can turn out to be expensive for just a few dozen copies -- or return orders, which probably will lose you future orders, as a customer may feel that their time has been wasted.

• 2

  Estimate the size of what you want printed. A bigger format will turn out to be cheaper, regarding printing costs, because you'll be able to use less paper overall for your material to be printed on. But for a bigger format, you will have to consider packaging issues if sending material out by mail. The larger the publication is in terms of height and width, the more expensive the envelope will be. So you will need to balance the cost of printing and the cost of packaging and postage. Also, work out, unless having leaflets printed, how many pages you require for your publication, and don't leave too many blank pages.

• 3

  Decide whether you want to have something printed in a basic, no frills black and white layout, or have a glossy, color publication, with lots of photographs, which will need to be screened. If you are thinking of a print run of 100, then the latter option will work out to be expensive. If you are thinking of having glossy color leaflets printed, then you are probably better off by designing and printing everything on your own computer, if you are not worried about the time element.